Process of recovering bituminous matter from shale



HUD. RYAN.

PROCESS OF RECOVERING BITUMINOUS MATTER FROM SHALE.

APPLICATION FILED MARnZB. 1919. 1,327,572.

Patented Jan. (5, 1920.

- out my invention. I wish it distinctly un-' 80 Accordingly UNITED STATESPATENT I T 1 HENRY D. RYAN, OF BOULDER; COLORADO, ASSIG-NOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

NATIONAL OIL MACHINERY CORPORATION, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., ACOBPORATION OF DELAWARE.

rBocEss-br RECOVERINGBITUMINOUS MATTER mom snare.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processesof Recovering Bituminous Matter from Shale, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

. My invention isa process of recovering bitumens from bitumen-carrying solids and especially shale and its principal object is the accomplishing of such recovery without destructive distillation of the various hydrocarbons as they exist originally in the solids. In the method of recovery of these values as at present carried'out by dry distillation among other products there are driven off large volumes of fixed-gases which result, relatively speaking, in considerable losses of the values; the principal object of my inventionis the obviation of such losses.

In the 'ingle sheet of drawings accompanying t is application and forming a part hereof, the single figure shown illustrates partially in side elevation andpartially in vertical section, in a diagrammatic manner, an apparatus adapted for use in carrying derstood, however that I do not deslre to be considered as limited to the use of any particular apparatus in carrying out my process;

Broadly speaking my invention contemplates digestion of the shale in a closed retort with a body of relatively heavy oil under the influence of heat.- By some action, the exact nature of which is now unlmown to me, this step results in a. conversion of the bitumen in the shale from its relatively solid state into a liquid and this without the evolution of any considerable quantity of fixed gases or extensive distillation of heavy oil fractions, but merely with the vaporization of some of the more highly volatile oils,

enough of the heavier oils remaining un-' vaporized 1n the retort or digester to insure a fluid digestion mixture. I have discovered, however, that if this heated fluid product of the digester be allowed to cool many ,of the bitumens will return to thefsolid state. the next step of the treatment is discharging the still highly heated mixture offfluid oils into a bath of gasolene or Specification of Letters Batent. Application filed March as, 1918. Serial 110,225,344.

'5 is had in the spider 8 wh ch 'terial' not sub-j ect to Patented Jan. 6,1920.

other relatively light oil. This eatment renders the bituminous products 0 the digester permanently liquid and at the same time serves to wash from the admixed clayey insoluble residue of the shale the larger part o f its oily conten bath the liquid under treatment and a portion of the bath are drawn off to a tank Where they are gently heated to drive off the greater portion of the light oilcontent of the mixture. The oil is now ready for. the refining processes, which may be those ordinarily employed in the-refining of petroleum oils. p

By referring to the drawings I will'describe an apparatus adapted. for carrying out myprocess and the various steps of my process as employed in connectionwith this apparatus. continuously through the hopper 1 into the retort 2. In the preferred construction shown in the drawings there is provided a screw conveyer 3 for accomplishing this feeding, the passageiin which this screw works being preferably contained within the flue 4-in order that the substances fed into the retort may be pr liminarily heated. Within the retort 2 I provide some stirring means; These may conveniently consist in. a cylindrical screen 5 mo finted upon a shaft 6 which is a continuation of the shaft of thescrew 3 and is driven by that pulley 7 At the feed end of the retort support for the screen allows the substances fed therethrough to fall in the interior. of the screen 5. At its opposite end the screen 5 is provided with a circular opening defined by a collar 9 through which any mathe treatment may be discharged into a chamber 10 where it will fall into a spout 11 from which it may be From the light oil- The shale to be treated is fed.

withdrawn through a valve 12 which is normally closed. Within the retort 2 a bath of heavy oil 14 is maintained at a level such of the cylindrical screen that the lower part 5 isimmersed therein.

A fire being maintained on the grate 15 andthe ap aratus being "charged as previously described (the shale being reduced to a suitable fineness preferably coarser than the meshes of the screen 5) as the screen 5 is rotated the solids under treatment will be agiatated in the bath of hot oil 14. V The I degree ofheat required render the bitu v treated and that other shales require higher lect within the screen and will be discharged temperature.

If the solids are amenable to this treatment the bituminous matter contained will be digested out and the remaining solids will be reduced to a clayey mass. If they are not amenable .to the treatment (as would be the case with rocky matter) they will colinto the chamber 10. A pipe 16 leads from the retort 2 near the upper surface of the liquid thereinand discharges into the'tank 17 which tank is conical in shape and is provided with a top closure 18 having a drum 19 therein. Leading into the tank 17 near the bottom thereof there is a pipe 21 whichterminates in a perforated-ring. 22 within the tank 17. A pipe 23 controlled by a valve 24 leads from the bottom ofthe tank 17 and discharges into the inclined chamber 25. This chamber is provided with a steam jacket 26 and with a screw conveyer 27 which carries any solids within the chamber to the upper end wherethey are dis-' charged into a spout 28 the lower end. of which is immersed in a waterseal (not shown), Near the upper end of the chamber 25 there is adrum 30 connected by a I pipe 31 to the upper end of a condensing the hopper 1.

coil 32. A pipe 33 likewise leads from the drum 19 to the coil 32. Within the tank 17 there is preferably provided a baflie plate 34 and from the tank 17 behind the baflie plate 34 there leads a pipe 35 provided with valve controlled connections to each of a'series of tanks 36, 37, 38. These tanks are each provided wlth'a heating coil 39 and with drums 40 which are connected by'pipes 41 with the top of the coil 32.' Each of the-tanks 36,

37, 38, is provided with a valve controlled discharge pipe 42 leading from the bottom of the tanks and also with valve controlled connections 43 leading into a pipe which connects with a pump 45 for lifting liquid through a pipe 46 and discharging it into The condensingcoil 32 discharges into a collecting tank 47 provided with a valve controlled outlet 48 and-also with valve controlled connections tov the pipe 21.

The products produced by the digestion operation in the tank 2 comprise volatile light oil which escapes through the pipe 49 and heavy liquid oils and clayey matter which are drawn ofi through the pipe .16,

Such of the volatile matters as pass off through the pipe 49 are collected in the condensing coil 50. The liquid bituminous mat- -ter and substances are directly discharged attheir relatively high temperature into a relatively large volume of light oil in the tank '17, thereby volatilizing considerable of this oil which, passes through the pipe 33 to the condenser 32. Loss of the light oil in the tank 17 is compensated for by oil introduced through 21 and consequently the substances entering the tank 17 through the pipe 16 meet a current of rising light oils, constantly decreasing in temperature toward the bottom of the tank, Theclayey matter is washed by this oil and settles into the bottom of the tank and the bituminous portion of the matter entering the tank 17 is carried upward by the rising current of light oil, drawn around by the bafile 34 and discharged with a considerable amount of light oil through the pipe 35 into one of the tanks" 36, 37, 38. Here the mixture is subjected to the action of heat from the coil 39 and such of light oils as it contains are vaporized and passed through the pipes 41 to the condensin coil 32. Such of the heavy oils remaining in the tank 36, 37, or 38 as is required to replace the heavy oils in the retort 2 is returned thereto by the pump 45 and the pipe 46. The excess over the oil required for the retort 2 is drawn off through the pipe 42 for further treatment by way of refining and distillation.

- The clayey matter collected in the bottom of the'tank 17 is discharged through the pipe 23 into the chamber 25 and is slowly moved through said chamber while being subjected to the action of the heat from the steam jacket 26. Any of the volatile oils remaining in the clay are thus vaporized and returned through the pipe 31 to the condenser 32. The dried argillaceous mat-' ter is discharged through pipe 28.

Three similar tanks 36, 37, 38 are shown and these are employed serially, one being filled, another being heat treated and the third being in the process of being emptied at the same time. 2

While in the above description I have referred to ,the matter to be treated as'shale I do not wish to be considered as limited to the treatment of this particular source 'of bitumen but I may treat any bitumen carrying solids, such as coal, bituminous sands and the like. It will also be obvious that certainoLthe steps described may be modified and I do not, therefore, desire to be considered as limited to the practice of the precise process described further than is indicated by the a pended'claims.

Having thus descri ed my invention what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

v 1.. A step in the recovery of bitumen from agitation at a temperature insufliciently high a to. effect substantial distillation j of heavy fractions, but high enough to efiectively 'liqueiy heavy hydrocarbons contained 1n said olids.

3. A step in therecovery of bitumen from solids whichconsists in' discharging highly heated, bitumen-carrying heavy oil into a relatively large bath of light oil.

4. A step in the recovery of bitumen from solids which consists in discharging highly heated, bitumen-carrying heavy oil into a bath comprising arelatively large volume of light oils in which there is maintained a rising current of relatively cool light oils.

5. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy-oilunder the action of heat and then discharging the product of .such digestion into a ,relatii elylarge bath of light oil.

6. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy oil under the adtion of heat and then discharging the product of such digestion while-highly heated into a 3 relatively large bath of light oil.

7. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solidswith heavy oil under the action of heat, discharging the product of such digestion into a relatively large bathof light oil in which there is maintained a rising current of said lightoil, withdrawing liquid from said bath near its upper surface, and withdrawing insoluble, non-bituminous constituents oft said solids from the bottom of said bath.

8. A process for-the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy oil under the action of heat, discharging the product of such digestion into a relatively large bath of light oil in which there is maintained a rising ing said light oils." w the recovery of bitumen drawing current of said light oil, withdrawing liquid from said bath near its upper'surface, withstituents of said solids from the bottom of said bath, heat treating said non-bituminous constituents tovolatilize the light oils with which they are impregnated, and condens- --9. A process for from solids which comprises digesting said solids withrheavy oil under the action of heat, discharging the product-of such digesheat, discharging the insoluble, non-bituminous contively large tion into'a relatively large bath of light oil in which there is maintained a rising current of said light oil, withdrawing liquid for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy oil under the action of product of'such digestion into'a relatively large bath of light oil inwhich thereis maintained a rising current ofsaid light oil, withdrawing liquid from said bath near its upper surface, withdrawing insoluble, non-bituminous constituents of said solids from the bottom of said bath, heat treating the liquid withdrawn fromthe bath to volatilize the light oils carried over therewith, and subjecting ,the residue so obtained to refining.

' 11. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy foil under the action of heat, discharging the product of such digestionjnto a relatively large bath of light oil in which there is maintained a rising current of said light oil, withdrawing liquid from said bath near its upper-surface, withdrawing insoluble, non-bituminous constituents of said solids from the bottom of said bath, heat'treating the liquid withdrawn from the bath-to volatilize the light oils carried over therewith, subjecting a portion of' the residue so obtained to refining, and employing the remainder of said residue .inthe first step herein mentioned.

12. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which comprises digesting said solids with heavy oil under the action 0t heat, in a retort, at temperatures sufii'ciently highto effectively liquefy heavy hydrocarbons contained in said solids, volatilizing a portion of the light oils contained in said solids without destructive distillation, and

condensing the oils so volatilized.

13. A process for the recovery of bitumen from solids which consists in feeding a mixture of heavy oils and said solid in finely divided condition into a closed retort, heating and agitating said mixture, volatilizing I a portion of the light oil contained in said solids, condensing the oils so volatilized, discharging'the remainingproducts of said digestion while highly heated into a relabath of light oil in which there is maintained La rising current of said light itsuppersurface,withdrawinginsolublemom bituminous constituents ofsaid solids from the bottom of said bath, heat treating said non bitu1ninous constituents to volatilize the oil, withdrawing liquid from said bath near light oils with which they are impregnated, condensing said; light oils, heat treatin the liquid withdrawn from said bath to volatilize the light oils carried over therewith, condensing said light oils, and subjecting a portion of the residue obtained from said last mentioned heat treatment to refining.

14. The processof obtaining valuable hydrocarbons from bituminous solids such as shale and the like, which comprises digesting a mixture of such a bituminous solid with a hydrocarbon liquid, the digestion being conducted at a temperature high enough to effectively liquefy heavy bituminous mat; ter contained in said solid but insufficiently high to effect substantial distillation of heavy bituminous matter, and separating a resultant liquid mixture of hydrocarbons from the residue of such bituminous solid.

15. The process of obtaining valuable hydrocarbons from bituminous solids such as shale and the like, which comprises digesting a mixture of such a bituminous solid with a hydrocarbon liquid, the digestion being conducted at a temperature high enough to effectively liquefy heavy bituminous matter contained in said solid but insufficiently high to effect substantial distillation of heavy bituminous matter, separating a re sultant liquid mixture of hydrocarbons from the residue of such bituminous solid, and refining said liquid mixture,

16. The process of treating solid bituminous material'such as shale and the like to obtain valuable roducts therefrom which comprises digesting such material with heavy hydrocarbon oil under the action of heat; and then diluting the resultant digestion mixture with a lighter oil, whereby separation of non-bituminous constituents of said material is facilitated.

'to effectively liquefy the heavy bituminous constituents of said solid matter but insufiiciently high to substantially vaporize said heavy liquid hydrocarbon, and separating the digestion liquid from residual matter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HENRY D. RYAN. 

